Featured Cheese - Westcombe Cheddar
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About Westcombe Cheddar
Westcombe is an artisan Cheddar made by the Calver family at the Westcombe Farm near Shepton Mallet in Somerset. It is one of the 'big-three' traditional Somerset Cheddars, along with Keen's and Montgomery. Made with unpasteurised milk and matured for 12-18 months, Westcombe has a slightly grainy texture with small random veins of flavour enriching blue mould. The taste is strong, noticeably creamy and with an edge of sharpness. The length of flavour is another remarkable feature of Westcombe, so much so that it's known as a 'Five Mile Cheddar' - you can still taste the Cheddar five miles away from the dairy!
The Westcombe Dairy
Traditional Cheddar has been made at Westcombe since the 1890s but in the 1970s the dairy started to produce commercial style cheese, in line with changes in the market. Cheese making became more commercial with the block style preferable to the round one - a totally different product from traditional hand made Cheddar. But in the early 1990s, The Calvers were forced to take a long, hard look at cheese making production. The Westcombe factory required dramatic refurbishment if it was to continue being competitive. Instead, the Calvers opted to step out of the competition altogether and venture into a niche market. The Westcombe factory was pulled down and a purpose built dairy, designed for the Somerset artisan cheddar maker took its place. Esteemed professional cheese maker Bob Bramley was head hunted from another cheddar business and a new era began at Westcombe Dairy.
With the help of Bob Bramley, the Calvers have become devoted to traditional cheddar making. Today, Bob has moved on and Tom Calver (who trained as a chef in London) has now the sole responsibility for cheese making at Westcombe. Tom loves the traditional and uncertain nature of the traditional cheese making methods, 'Each cheese is a work of art. The funny thing is there isn't really a secret recipe. Making cheese is like making wine; everyday is a new vintage'.
With the help of Bob Bramley, the Calvers have become devoted to traditional cheddar making. Today, Bob has moved on and Tom Calver (who trained as a chef in London) has now the sole responsibility for cheese making at Westcombe. Tom loves the traditional and uncertain nature of the traditional cheese making methods, 'Each cheese is a work of art. The funny thing is there isn't really a secret recipe. Making cheese is like making wine; everyday is a new vintage'.
The History of Cheddar
Probably the most consumed cheese in the world, Cheddar originated from Somerset around the late 12th Century and took its name from the Gorge or caves in the town of Cheddar that were used to store the cheese. The constant temperature and humidity of the caves provided a perfect environment for maturing the cheese. The town also gave its name to a unique part of the cheesemaking process – known as Cheddaring - which is the process of turning the slabs of curd and piling them on top of each other in a controlled way to help drain the whey. It also stretches the curd. The process helps to create a harder cheese with firm body and is unique to Cheddar making.
Cheddar making in Somerset goes back more than 800 years with records from the King of England’s accounts (the so called “Great Roll of the Pipe”) noting that in 1170 the King purchased 10,240 lbs (4.6 tonnes) of Cheddar cheese at a cost of a farthing a pound. The king at the time- Henry II - declared Cheddar cheese to be the best in Britain and his son Prince John (who reigned between 1199 and 1216) clearly thought the same as there are records of him continuing to buy the cheese for the great Royal banquets. In the reign of Charles 1 (1625 to 1649) parliamentary records show that the cheese made in Cheddar was sold before it was even made and indeed was only available at the court.I n 1724 Daniel Defoe devoted a chapter to Cheddar and its cheese in his book “A tour of the Islands of Great Britain”.
Today Cheddar cheese is still made in Somerset but also all over the world. It is made on farms in the West Country and 14 makers are licensed to use the EU Protected Designation of Origin “West Country Farmhouse Cheddar”. The cheese must be made on a farm in the four counties of Devon, Cornwall, Dorset and Somerset from locally produced milk and using traditional Cheddar making techniques – including hand Cheddaring. West Country Farmhouse Cheddar is matured in the region and sold at a minimum age of 9 months and is subject to regular grading throughout its life.
Cheddar making in Somerset goes back more than 800 years with records from the King of England’s accounts (the so called “Great Roll of the Pipe”) noting that in 1170 the King purchased 10,240 lbs (4.6 tonnes) of Cheddar cheese at a cost of a farthing a pound. The king at the time- Henry II - declared Cheddar cheese to be the best in Britain and his son Prince John (who reigned between 1199 and 1216) clearly thought the same as there are records of him continuing to buy the cheese for the great Royal banquets. In the reign of Charles 1 (1625 to 1649) parliamentary records show that the cheese made in Cheddar was sold before it was even made and indeed was only available at the court.I n 1724 Daniel Defoe devoted a chapter to Cheddar and its cheese in his book “A tour of the Islands of Great Britain”.
Today Cheddar cheese is still made in Somerset but also all over the world. It is made on farms in the West Country and 14 makers are licensed to use the EU Protected Designation of Origin “West Country Farmhouse Cheddar”. The cheese must be made on a farm in the four counties of Devon, Cornwall, Dorset and Somerset from locally produced milk and using traditional Cheddar making techniques – including hand Cheddaring. West Country Farmhouse Cheddar is matured in the region and sold at a minimum age of 9 months and is subject to regular grading throughout its life.